Kentucky football reportedly fires Mark Stoops
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The Kentucky Wildcats fired head football coach Mark Stoops on Sunday, according to multiple reports.
The Wildcats finished the regular season with a 41-0 loss to the Louisville Cardinals. Stoops said after the game that he had no intention of stepping down as head coach.
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Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops walks on the field before the NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
“Like, am I going to walk away? Are you kidding? … I have a zero percent chance of walking,” he said. via ESPN.
“I will be here. I can no longer control what decision will be made. If you ask me, I said zero. Zero means zero.”
This is the second year in a row that Kentucky has missed the bowl game. The Wildcats were 4-8 in 2024 and finished 5-7 in 2025. They lost a big game against Vanderbilt before the loss to Louisville.
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Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea and Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops meet on the field following an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Stoops took over as Kentucky’s head coach prior to the 2013 season. The team was 2-10 in his first season but gradually improved throughout his tenure. The Wildcats won 10 games in 2018; They achieved this for the first time since 1977.
He was 72-80 and will leave Kentucky as the winningest coach in program history.
Stoops also has a $36 million buyout within 60 days of his dismissal. Athletic.
It’s unclear who Kentucky will hire next, but the Wildcats will be the latest SEC program to make a move. LSU, Ole Miss, Auburn, Arkansas and Florida each made head coaching decisions on Saturday.
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops shakes hands with senior players and their families during final day ceremonies before the Kentucky Wildcats face the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Kroger Field on November 15, 2025 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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While Lane Kiffin decided to take the LSU job, Ole Miss chose Pete Golding instead. Auburn hired Alex Golesh, Arkansas recruited Ryan Silverfield and Florida committed Jon Sumrall.
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